Press Release

Hispanics Continue to Bear the Burden of an Unequal Recovery

(Washington, D.C.) – According to today’s report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. unemployment rate overall was unchanged at 5 percent, while Hispanic unemployment remains significantly higher, at 6.3 percent. Instead of showing strength across the range of economic indicators, average weekly hours worked were flat, and average hourly earnings fell slightly. This release comes as analysts worry that U.S. economic growth is stalling, with economists continuing to lower expectations for GDP growth estimates. In addition, the labor force participation continues to hover around its lowest rate since the 1970’s - with the national rate currently at 62.6 percent - signaling a weak job market that has yet to recover.

Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:

“The latest jobs report is a mixed bag, with little to encourage Latinos looking to get ahead in the workforce. Our community continues to be pushed into part-time work at higher rate that the rest of the nation, and wages remain stagnant. While job growth is always welcome, it means very little when our community continues to have a hard time finding full-time positions that can support a family.

The rate of Latinos working or looking for work continues to be higher than the national average, and we will continue to seek meaningful employment that can help us climb the economic ladder. It’s a testament to our resilience as a community. But lawmakers need to realize that for as much as our community tries, they need to remove barriers of growth to the private sector so every American can have the opportunity to work and earn their living without worrying about making ends-meet.”